January 30, 2005

Man shot dead; school, phone booths set ablaze

Muhamad Ayub Pathan

 A 30-year-old man was shot and killed in his house in Yala's Muang district

last night, police said.  Masiti Salaemae, 30, was shot by two gunmen who stormed into his house in a para rubber plantation. Police were investigating if the shooting had something to do with southern violence.

 A school in Raman district and two public phone booths were set ablaze

Friday evening. No one was injured, authorities said.   The fire at Ban Ma-ae school, a wooden one-storey structure, broke out around 7.20pm. It was promptly put out by a team of village protection volunteers on patrol.  Damage was estimated at 2,500 baht.

 Police said the village protection volunteers also fired shots at a

suspected arsonist, who fled through a fruit plantation just behind the

school.

 Two phone booths were simultaneously torched, causing damage estimated at

10,000 baht.

 In the first arson attack on Kota Bahru-Baeho road, two teenagers riding a

motorcycle were seen dousing a piece of cloth with gasoline, lighting it and

placing it in the booth.

 The second attack took place at the phone booth outside Ban Na Toey school

in tambon Kota Bahru.